Tag: Vocalocity

A confluence of technological innovations has transformed the workplace and the way we connect with customers and co-workers.

Thanks to the internet, mobile technology and cloud hosting, “the office” is now wherever employees are located – at home, at a customer’s business site, in the car or at the local coffee shop.

Small and medium-sized businesses that leverage communications and collaboration technology can find themselves successfully competing with companies many times their size.

Technology Helps to Level the Playing Field

Consider the case of Consuela Shorter, a learning systems consultant who opened Blue Skies Performance Solutions in downtown Kansas City, Mo. in 2013. Today she helps employers of all sizes nationwide to select and implement learning management systems to provide their employees with training that ranges from industry-specific skills to management and compliance training.

Shorter is one of those tech-savvy business people who have harnessed technology in a way that enables her small company to compete with major players in her industry.

“Although our headquarters is in Kansas City, I can virtually attend a meeting in Nashville or Chicago or Orange County as if I am right there in the board room with my client,” says Shorter. “The technology I use in my small business is no different than that used in much larger or global companies.

“The way we connect depends on the need,” she continues. “If it’s a conversation, we’ll have a conference call. If we need to share a PowerPoint we’ll use a webinar. If the issue is related to administrator navigation or use of a functionality or feature and I need to see things from the user point of view we’ll use screen sharing. If there’s a reason for us to come together in the office, then we’ll meet.”

Business Features Sealed the Deal

As you might imagine, when Shorter went shopping for a business phone system there was no question in her mind that she wanted an internet phone system. Ever been in Kansas City in the winter?

“With old-school phones, if a storm comes, you could be wiped out for days. With internet phones you’re backed up,” Shorter says, referring to the data centers with redundant power that cloud-hosted phone systems like Vonage operate. These phone systems can remain in operation even when the customer’s location is out of commission.

But, what sealed the deal was a host of features offered by Vonage Business that work particularly well – because Shorter and her employees rarely work from the office. Mobile phones are their key method of connecting with each other and with clients.1

Integrated Mobility – Another Level of Mobile

With traditional systems, mobile phones aren’t integrated within the office phone system as they are with cloud-hosted systems. As a result, Caller ID reveals that a personal mobile number is being used when making business calls. That forces some to use a separate office and mobile line to work remotely, racking up additional costs for a company or forcing an employer to limit the number of workers assigned a mobile account.

In the business VoIP environment, mobile devices can be made to be just another end point within the same phone system, integrating with many of the same system calling features. Workers can access their company’s phone system on their mobile devices while on the go and they can keep their business and personal accounts separate on the same device.

Also, calls are recognized on Caller ID as calls from the company, extending a professional business presence for those making the calls outside of their office. An additional advantage is that Mobile Apps often come free with the system, as they do with Vonage Business.

A Sampling of Favorite Features

Shorter had a hard time paring down Vonage Business phone system features to a few favorites but here’s her short list:

Call Continuity: Blue Skies selects backup numbers for automatic call rerouting in the event it loses power or internet at the business

Virtual Receptionist: This customizable feature allows the company to create custom call pathways and even set specific routing for holidays, lunchtime and after-hour calls.

Voicemail Transcription (VMT): This feature helps employees stay in touch with incoming calls, even if they’re in meetings or away from the office. VMT transcribes the voicemail and delivers the text, as well as an MP3 audio file, to the employee’s email inbox.

The features that Shorter’s company utilizes today are important, she says. But the ones she intends to add as her business expands will be a critical part of her growth strategy: “Best of all, it’s scalable so that as my company grows the technology will grow with me.”

1Calls made from mobiles use airtime and may incur surcharges, depending on your mobile plan.

Business growth isn’t just about increased revenue or headcount. It’s often about doing more with less staff, or even finding new ways to evaluate and train employees. However you define growth, your business VoIP phone system should be able to help you build your business the way you want.

Let’s talk about this: First, think about the core capabilities of your business and what it takes to succeed. Then, ask yourself if some of the features on your business phone system could be helping you move operations to the next level. These “growth features” may differ from business to business, but they’re used every day to help companies pursue a competitive edge. Just ask Mark Krassner, founder of Knee Walker Central:

“If you’re considering using a VoIP phone system, my advice would be to dig deeper,” he says. “There are a lot of companies out there that might be able to meet your basic needs, but if you really want to grow a business, scale a business, Vonage has so many tools at your disposal to help grow with you – and it’s such an important thing.”

Here’s a sampling of how businesses can harness the power of our phone system calling features:

For Improving Operations

Call Logs: With this feature, customers can access analytics and reporting to evaluate productivity and trends which help streamline business and staffing decisions.

Call Continuity: This feature allows customers to set up automatic call rerouting in the event of lost power or Internet – helping the organization maintain business continuity.

Desktop Plugins: Plugins help employees integrate the business tools they already use (e.g., Salesforce.com®, Google Search or Intuit QuickBooks®) within the business phone system, allowing greater intelligence with every call.

For Employee Evaluation and Training

Company-Wide Call Recording: Managers use this customizable feature to evaluate the on-phone performance of their teams. It’s ideal for coaching and recommending specific improvements.

Call Monitoring: Particularly for newer sales or service employees, this feature enables management to “monitor” live calls, “whisper” advice or reminders to operators during calls, or “barge” into a call as appropriate.

For More Efficient Call Routing

Virtual Receptionist: Many businesses quickly benefit from this robust auto-attendant feature, allowing them to set custom call pathways and even set specific routing for holidays, lunchtime and after-hour calls.

Call Queue: Sales and service teams use this feature to better manage call volume and enhance the call-in experience with a combination of customizable prompts, directional messaging and on-hold music – helping to minimize unanswered calls.

Voicemail Transcription (VMT): When employees are in a meeting or otherwise away from their phone, they don’t have to be out of touch. VMT transcribes the voicemail and delivers the text, as well as an MP3 audio file, to the employee’s email inbox.

For Business Expansion

Work from Anywhere: Setting up a new extension on the Vonage system can be done quickly and virtually. This feature lets employees gain access to the phone system simply by plugging their office phone into high-speed internet … at home, on the road, or in the office.

Local or Geographic Number: Adding a number in a new region is easy, allowing the business to develop a local presence in a new market.

Toll Free Numbers: For your sales or service department, or even in support of a special promotion, a Toll Free Number is easy to purchase and set up quickly.

For Mobile Employee Empowerment

Mobile App: Our Vonage Business Mobile App for iOS® and Android® integrates your remote employees into the full phone system. And when they’re using the Mobile App, personal and business calls are separate, and calls are registered on Caller ID as a call from the office.

“Never Miss a Call”: This suite of five mobility features gives employees the option to choose how they want their calls routed when they’re away from their desk or out of the office. Includes: Call Forwarding, Follow Me, Simultaneous Ring, Voicemail and Do Not Disturb.

Softphone: Many customers choose to access the business phone system through their computer – particularly when travelling – which is no problem with our Softphone.

The Vonage system features above include some of its 40+ standard features, as well as specialized add-on features. While customers may not use all the available features, it’s certainly a worthy goal to explore the ones that can truly enhance the way you do business. That’s what we mean by “growth features” – those calling features that help you enhance efficiency, better serve customers, streamline processes, expand your business, and develop a competitive edge.

See how Vonage Business customer Knee Walker Central leverages calling features to help them grow and build a better workforce.

About Dave Morris

Dave is a content strategist and writer at Vonage Business Solutions, working with teams across the company to build communication programs that enable our customers and assist our prospects. He enjoys living in Atlanta and is an avid gardener, restaurant enthusiast and live music fan.

The dramatic rate of adoption of cloud-based business systems is a true “What’s in it for the business?” story. In fact, a 2015 Microsoft study1 revealed the top reasons businesses are making the shift are to: (1) improve technology quality, (2) help grow our business, (3) improve availability, and (4) better business service.

Confidence in the Cloud. Over 75% in the Microsoft Study said that nearly half of their applications will be deployed in cloud environments within three years. This includes everything from CRM solutions such as Salesforce.com to business VoIP phone systems like Vonage Business. A Frost & Sullivan study2 showed a 32% increase in the hosted VoIP user base in 2013, with steady growth anticipated through 2020. Perhaps not surprisingly, the study also pointed to support for a mobile workforce as a key driver for adopting cloud-hosted communications solutions.

Why the Rise of Cloud-based Business Phone Systems? Just think of the difference between traditional phone service – with its in-office PBX routing calls and delivering calling features – and today’s cloud-hosted systems. Hosted VoIP systems have removed the hardware and technology limitations of traditional phone systems. Instead, the feature-enabling PBX is delivered by software running in the cloud that providers can deliver efficiently to an entire customer base. That cumbersome “closetful of wires” is no longer necessary, nor are phone vendor visits for maintenance, feature upgrades or adding lines. Hosted VoIP solutions like the Vonage Business system are maintained virtually, which customers often find more liberating and less expensive than traditional service.

The business world’s rapid and widespread adoption of cloud-based business services, including phone service, will continue for the foreseeable future, according to a recent Microsoft-commissioned study called Beyond Infrastructure.1

The study found that more than 75 percent of businesses surveyed expect approximately half of their applications will operate in cloud environments within three years.

The study also found that top applications being adopted include voice services such as hosted phone systems, database, email, enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM), virtual desktop hosting, personal productivity documents, analytics including business intelligence and e-commerce website hosting.

Why the Dramatic Shift to the Cloud?

The top reasons survey respondents gave for shifting to cloud-hosted services were led by the desire to improve the quality of their technology, to help grow the business, increase the availability of their applications, scale to demand, lower cost, increase their speed to market and add capabilities that they can’t build internally.

Cloud services have been a boon to small businesses in particular, enabling them to utilize sophisticated technology without having to deploy physical infrastructure, software and IT consultants or employees. The anytime, anywhere nature of cloud services also makes collaboration among an increasingly mobile workforce and business partners easier than ever before.

What Businesses Want in a Cloud Provider

The top criteria for selecting cloud service providers are trust, uptime, security, performance and technical expertise, according to the Microsoft survey. “Enterprises are looking for a trusted end-to-end solution, and ultimately this will involve multiple partners,” said Michelle Bailey, a senior vice president with 451 Research, which conducted the study for Microsoft.

One of the top cloud services identified by respondents is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), a range of voice and telephony, chat and video conferencing that encompasses voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone service.
In 2013, the hosted VoIP user base grew by 32 percent to five million users. Small and mid-sized companies looking for telecommunications systems that are affordable, flexible, and scalable are currently the heaviest users of VoIP business services.

A recent Frost & Sullivan study,2 found that more than 68 percent of the internet telephone services market was composed of businesses with less than 50 users in 2013, a trend expected to continue over the next five years.

In addition, mid-sized and large business use of the technology is also expected to increase. All hosted internet telephony and Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) services users will grow by a compound annual growth 27.4 percent from 2013 to 2020, according to Frost & Sullivan.

Support for the Mobile Workforce

The trend toward cloud service adoption is also being driven by the need to support a growing mobile workforce and the ability to gain faster access to advanced features and capabilities. Security, reliability and price are also important factors in system selection as are technology maturity, cutting edge features and a technology portfolio.

Why build a teleworking program? As a business owner, you want happy and productive employees – so you are wise to consider the effect teleworking can have on overall business productivity and employee well-being. You would be hard pressed to find a business today that isn’t at least considering a work-from-home program for its employees. In fact, most businesses are already implementing teleworking programs in some form, and the data shows why.

Advantages that make success possible: Today’s businesses now have access to advanced business tools that make teleworking more seamless than ever. Cloud-based business tools, in particular, allow remote employees to work the way they do in the office setting. For example, with the Vonage business VoIP phone system, employees can take their office desk phone home, plug into the Internet, and have the same access to calling features they enjoy in the office. Or, employees can use the Vonage Business Mobile App, which also integrates with the business phone system. The integrated Mobile App is particularly attractive to businesses because employees can use it on their own mobile device – but still display the business’s identity on Caller ID. Learn more about how VoIP phone systems enable businesses to do more: Check out the Inside the Business VoIP Revolution eBook.

Maybe the timing is right for your competitive business to implement a telecommuting program. The statistics are in your favor and great business tools are available to make teleworking extremely productive. What’s in it for your business? Click the “5 Big Benefits” infographic to expand it and learn more.

Today’s employees are more mobile than ever and are often distributed across multiple locations. And no surprise, businesses are comparing mobile solutions that can keep their on-the-go employees connected.

THE GOOD NEWS: A number of business phone providers offer some sort of mobile solution.

THE BAD NEWS: Many mobility solutions in the marketplace are not integrated within the business phone system – they’re separate!

This is a pretty big deal if you’re shopping for a business phone system. Because why wouldn’t a business want all of its employees connected to the same phone system – wherever they are and on whatever device they choose? We refer to this tie-in as “integrated mobility,” as opposed to a “separate mobile” approach (when a mobile solution functions outside of the business’s core phone system). Traditional phone solutions are known for providing separate mobile, while business VoIP providers like Vonage offer integrated mobility. Let’s take a closer look at the differences.

Integrated Mobility vs. Separate Mobile

Traditional Service, Separate Mobile: If you use a traditional business phone service, your provider can offer separate business mobile lines. These lines are not tied to the office system, so your mobile employees would maintain a separate office line and mobile line. And, since separate business mobile lines require purchase, some employers will choose to limit the number of employees assigned to a mobile account. Or, they’ll choose to let employees use their personal mobile plans for business.

Business VoIP, Integrated Mobility: It’s a much different story within the business VoIP environment, where the mobile solution is integrated within the company’s business phone system. Therefore, mobile devices become just another end point within the same phone system, sharing many of the same system calling features. With the Vonage system, for example, a call generated on the business mobile app is recognized on the recipient’s caller ID as a call from the business. Plus, the Vonage Business Mobile App comes with the phone system, requiring no additional purchase. It’s easy to download and can be used by any employee on the account – giving them a professional business presence and seamless access to the business phone system wherever they are.

If your contemporary business requires a solid mobile solution to keep your mobile and dispersed employees connected – look for a provider that can deliver an integrated mobility solution. Want to learn more about meeting mobility needs? Check out our eBook now: Inside the Business VoIP Revolution.

It wasn’t too long ago that we regarded cloud-based business tools as something to keep an eye on – or something that only large enterprise organizations dabbled in. Those days are long gone as businesses of all sizes regularly employ cloud-based tools across their organization … CRM solutions like Salesforce.com, email through Office 365, and the list goes on.

Also, consider the rapid adoption of cloud-hosted business VoIP phone systems – over traditional systems – across nearly every industry vertical. Why the revolutionary shift away from traditional phone systems? It’s a great story of businesses using hosted VoIP phone solutions to increase efficiency and do more. Quite often, these businesses are also saving money when they switch.

Get the Free eBook

You’re invited to take a closer look at how business VoIP systems work and how they differ from “traditional” phone systems that have been around for decades.

At the heart of the Business VoIP Revolution is the convergence of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology and cloud hosting that enable next-generation calling features, integrated mobile access, and efficiencies that often keep costs lower than traditional solutions. This eBook highlights some critical comparisons between “hosted VoIP service” and “traditional phone service,” including:

Is Your Business On Board?

Especially if you’ve been considering a switch to a hosted VoIP system for your business, use this eBook to learn why it’s the right solution for so many savvy businesses. The maturity of business VoIP technology is certainly driving the revolution – and for business owners, it’s the resulting operational efficiencies and cost savings that prove the Business VoIP Revolution is real. Check out the “Inside the Business VoIP Revolution” eBook now.

Not too long ago, the thought of a small company moving its business systems to the cloud was novel. Cloud technology was reserved for larger organizations with IT teams, according to many business owners. But what a difference just a few years makes.

Now, businesses of all sizes are actively improving operations with cloud-based CRM tools, email systems and certainly business phone systems. The mystery and apprehension toward cloud solutions has not only dissipated, these tools now represent competitive advantages for savvy businesses.

In a recent interview, Pie Shop owner and Vonage customer Mims Bledsoe discussed why she moved to a hosted business VoIP phone system: “Technology is generally moving toward the cloud, which basically means being able to access it from anywhere,” she said. “You don’t have to be sitting at your office desk. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can connect to the things you use most … so putting your phone system on the cloud makes just as much sense as having email.”

Ms. Bledsoe’s simple description underscores how comfortable small business owners have become with cloud systems. In fact, she relishes the conveniences the Vonage system provides her business. She logs on to the online Admin Portal to adjust call settings or to change voicemail settings remotely. She uses the Vonage Business Mobile app when she’s on the go. And she likes that when she makes calls from her home office, the system reflects her business identity on caller ID.

While these are go-to features for her business, they’re also great examples of a key benefit of cloud hosting – the ability to access the phone system from anywhere, on any device. For many businesses, this is the most liberating and enabling aspect of a cloud-hosted system like Vonage’s.

Businesses are also liberated by the lower cost. The Vonage system, for example, saves businesses at least 30 percent over traditional providers,* which also has a lot to do with cloud hosting. You see, the system’s PBX – the nerve center where call routing is accomplished and call features are enabled – is hosted in the reliable Vonage Cloud instead of in the business’s server closet. Therefore, there is no expensive equipment to maintain, and no need for annual service contracts or technician visits. The system is managed virtually, allowing much more control for the business.

Learn why businesses of all sizes benefit by moving their business phone to the cloud. Speak to a Vonage representative about the easy switch to the Vonage Cloud, 1-877-862-2562.

Success Story Video: See how a thriving bakery makes the most of the Vonage business phone system, even when they’re away from the shop.

In the face of serious winter storms, business owners are first concerned for the safety and well-being of their commuting employees. Many are also thinking of possible lost work days if employees are unable to make it into the office – and resulting lost revenue when inbound calls go unanswered.

For countless companies, the business phone system is the lifeline to customers. Particularly with most traditional phone systems, if you can’t get into the office, you simply can’t receive incoming calls. At that moment, the prospects of lost productivity and lost sales are very real; it’s a situation many businesses simply cannot control.

Why You Should “Never Miss a Call”

It’s often during the toughest conditions that business owners realize the advantage of hosted VoIP phone systems. When the system is hosted in the cloud and connected through the Internet, as the Vonage system is, you can access your full phone system wherever you are – and never miss a call!

What you can do right now. If you can’t make it to the office, the next step is easy with the Vonage system. Simply log into your password-protected online User Portal, choose one of the “Never Miss a Call” features, and direct your office calls to ring on your cell phone or other phone. You can even access the User Portal from your cell phone. Or, your company’s administrator can adjust settings for anyone in the company using the system’s Admin Portal. Either way, it’s fast and easy.

What is Never Miss a Call, and what are my options? Never Miss a Call is a suite of features that help you stay fully connected to the phone system when you’re away from the office. Feature options you can select from the online portal include:

Just choose the Never Miss a Call feature you prefer, and truly, you won’t miss a call. It’s just that simple.

What About Lost Power or Internet?

If you do make it into the office, only to discover lost power or Internet – you’re still fine if you’ve configured our Call Continuity service. This patent-pending service ensures calls are rerouted to your cell phone or other phone in the event of lost power or Internet.

IMPORTANT: While Call Continuity can be vital in the event of an emergency, it must be configured in advance on the Admin Portal to take effect. Customers are advised take the easy steps to configure and activate the service immediately.

Another Easy Way to Keep Connected

As many employees do the day before an expected extreme weather event – they take their IP desk phones home. Since the cloud-hosted Vonage system is “plug and play,” users can take their office phones home, plug into high-speed Internet, and have the same phone system access they have back at the office.

Whether it’s a debilitating winter storm or hurricane conditions that keep your team away from the office, the good news is that you don’t have to miss calls. It’s the beauty of having a reliable hosted VoIP phone system.

Success Story Video: See how one customer “found a better way” with the Vonage system following a debilitating winter storm.

Not too long ago, the thought of a small company moving its business systems to the cloud was novel. Cloud technology was reserved for larger organizations with IT teams, according to many business owners. But what a difference just a few years makes.

Now, small to mid-sized businesses (SMB) are actively improving operations with cloud-based CRM tools, email systems and certainly business phone systems. The mystery and apprehension toward cloud solutions has not only dissipated, these tools now represent competitive advantages for savvy SMBs.

In a recent interview, Pie Shop owner and Vonage customer Mims Bledsoe discussed why she moved to a hosted business VoIP phone system: “Technology is generally moving toward the cloud, which basically means being able to access it from anywhere,” she said. “You don’t have to be sitting at your office desk. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can connect to the things you use most … so putting your phone system on the cloud makes just as much sense as having email.”

Ms. Bledsoe’s simple description underscores how comfortable small business owners have become with cloud systems. In fact, she relishes the conveniences the Vonage system provides her business. She logs on to the online Admin Portal to adjust call settings or to change voicemail settings remotely. She uses the Vonage Business Mobile app when she’s on the go. And she likes that when she makes calls from her home office, the system reflects her business identity on caller ID.

While these are go-to features for her business, they’re also great examples of a key benefit of cloud hosting – the ability to access the phone system from anywhere, on any device. For many businesses, this is the most liberating and enabling aspect of a cloud-hosted system like Vonage’s.

Businesses are also liberated by the lower cost. The Vonage system, for example, saves businesses at least 30 percent over traditional providers,* which also has a lot to do with cloud hosting. You see, the system’s PBX – the nerve center where call routing is accomplished and call features are enabled – is hosted in the reliable Vonage Cloud instead of in the business’s server closet. Therefore, there is no expensive equipment to maintain, and no need for annual service contracts or technician visits. The system is managed virtually, allowing much more control for the business.

Learn why businesses of all sizes benefit by moving their business phone to the cloud. Speak to a Vonage representative about the easy switch to the Vonage Cloud, 1-877-862-2562.

Success Story Video: See how a thriving bakery makes the most of the Vonage business phone system, even when they’re away from the shop.